Hagalaz, there will still be a fee for international shipping. The amount of the fee will depend on your country. Kickstarter does not allow you to choose different shipping fees for individual countries. That is why there is a $10 fee for anyone outside the country at the moment.
all it needs now is a wifi chip to surf the net while you wait for the next round lol. THEN i'd pledge a grand to get this off the ground. Untill then...
good luck guys!!! great idea btw.
Can you make a video of the little LCD's in use?
EDIT : That wifi thing was at first a joke, but now i'm serious lol. put a wifi chip into it, program firefox onto the software, and you got something. great tool for looking up unsure rules, card prices, etc.
If an opponent is not familiar with your software can the player with the mat access outside notes in the middle of the game? This point is the reason many judges are very hesitant to allow players to use their phone to take notes. A piece of paper can clearly be seen to have 0 notes on it to begin with, an electronic device is trickier.
Does the mat have any ability to communicate with any other devices?
Another potential cheating issue.
Can you get an oracle text from the device?
This is a function judges get asked frequently and the tournament rules were amended to allow players to grab it themselves...as long as they do it openly in front of their opponent.
Lampposter, The screens are similar to other capacitive touch screens and displays as far as liquids are concerned. They are water resistant and will not be damaged if you spill a drink or something of that nature. Obviously they are not water proof though so they cannot be submerged in a liquid but smaller amounts are not an issue.
The mats come with a one year warranty for any defects from production or failures that occur during that period. This does not cover user neglect or accidental damage just like warranties for most other electronic devices.
As previously stated, the multi player support for EDH and similar game types has been requested enough that we have decided to include those features in the software that will come standard on each play mat through Kickstarter and those produced for retail after.
I will have to ask Glen, the lead electrical/software engineer about the lifetimes of the battery, the LCD screen, and the LED panels as I don't know that information off the top of my head but I am sure it is comparable to similar devices that utilize these components.
Sorry I don't have all the information you requested at the moment, but I hope I answered some of your questions.
Befuddlement The mat does not have any capabilities to receive calls, texts, access the internet, communicate with other devices or any other function that could be utilized to cheat in that manner.
The mat cannot access the internet so oracle text is an issue we are debating at the moment. We could include a list of oracle text up to the point of release but in order for users to have oracle text for cards released after that point we would need to release updates for users to download and install by connecting via USB with a computer. This process may be more of a hassle than it's worth to the average player so we are still debating the merits.
The notes section is similar to a small piece of paper in that there is no way to hide the information written within. If an opponent or judge wanted to check the notes section before or during a match they could ask the player to see the screen, just like you would ask to see their paper.
We devised the software with tournament play in mind as both the CEO and I are long time competitive players with experience in high level tournaments such as Grand Prixs, Pro Tours, and SCG Invitationals. We wanted the mat to be usable at these type of events as well as for the casual player so we kept legality in mind.
EDIT : That wifi thing was at first a joke, but now i'm serious lol. put a wifi chip into it, program firefox onto the software, and you got something. great tool for looking up unsure rules, card prices, etc.
I guess my main question is what advantages does this really have over a normal mat that I got for $10 and a smartphone that I already own with a free app? From the video it doesn't look like it does anything the apps don't already do.
Edit - And I understand that there are the additional LED screens for keeping track of counters or whatever, but it's not like I can have them shine through the cards or anything like that. I doubt this system is going to replace dice for keeping track of counters on a card. I guess they might be nice for a 2nd life total display that is clearly visible to you and your opponent, but I'm not sure that's enough to justify the increased cost.
day 2 at the grand prix we were allowed to use our phones provided all information displayed was visible at all times to our opponents, and that's professional REL.
I guess my main question is what advantages does this really have over a normal mat that I got for $10 and a smartphone that I already own with a free app? From the video it doesn't look like it does anything the apps don't already do.
Edit - And I understand that there are the additional LED screens for keeping track of counters or whatever, but it's not like I can have them shine through the cards or anything like that. I doubt this system is going to replace dice for keeping track of counters on a card. I guess they might be nice for a 2nd life total display that is clearly visible to you and your opponent, but I'm not sure that's enough to justify the increased cost.
Supposedly their system is less stressful on a battery than a full-fledged smartphone. According to their information, their mat will still be operational after play sessions that would have drained a smartphone dry.
edit:
From the features section of their website
Our battery will provide 10-12 full hours of game play and is rechargeable. This is an entire day of playing, unlike a smart phone that last 3-4 hours.
/edit
That's their claim at least. Right now I just have to take their word that it's true.
A time-lapse video of it running non-stop next to a clock would be neat. Place it next to some smartphones running a lifetracker app to drive home the point that the mat is supposed to last longer.
Unless I missed it, it looks like you do not have any video showing the top LED screens or how easy it is to roll it up with them. That is the only thing right now that is keeping me from contributing, because without them it just seems like a matt with a window cut out for a smartphone.
We will take your recommendations and work on uploading more videos that showcase some of the features you guys are asking for soon such as battery life and LCD screen functionality. Thanks for the input.
We will take your recommendations and work on uploading more videos that showcase some of the features you guys are asking for soon such as battery life and LCD screen functionality. Thanks for the input.
This is a relatively minor thing, but I think your software UI might need a bit of development in terms of its ease of use.
Right now, looking at your Kickstarter, it appears that in order to switch from the life tracker to the notepad, or any other similar switch, I need to "close" the current view and select the new view from the control menu. That's fine, but it's two button touches, both of which require me to locate and orient my finger to a new location on the screen and the UI needs to make space for the "close" button.
If it were me, I would vastly prefer a swiping action to just rotate through the five or so possible screens the UI can display. It reduces the need to expend mental effort to switch screens and allows me access to my desired screen far more quickly, which is desirable in game situations. I don't use a smartphone life tracker because they tend to be slower and clumsier than a simple pad of paper.
Just a thought. Unfortunately, I'm probably not your target demographic as I don't use any tech in my games of Magic; just a simple mat, some dice and a pad of paper with a pen. Smartphone battery life has never been an issue for me.
A lot of tables at LGSs do not have enough vertical space if two mats are being used at the same time or if I want to be considerate and only take up my half of the table. Thinner mats are able to bend downwards once it goes pass the table edge in front of my lap. With Egmats, it seems like this will be an issue since it is thicker and also the interface is placed along the bottom edge of the mat. Can this issue be addressed?
Graeme1717 The screens were placed at the top of the mat because in most TCGs (excluding ANR) cards such as creatures, planeswalkers, monsters, etc are placed near the top of the mat with resources being placed at the bottom. I understand your point but ANR has a very unique layout that is much different than most other TCGs so we placed the screens in a position for better use with the majority of games.
Wander We took your input and others and have decided to update the software for easier navigation by adding a button to return to the main screen on each page, implementing a scroll layout as you have suggested, or coming up with another improvement to further reduce the amount time between screens.
InsaneAssault, We tested the size of the mat in various LGS's in Texas and along the South East Coast and never ran into any issues with tables not being large enough for a player and his opponent to not both have room for mats. The mat could sit a few inches off the edge of the table toward the user in order to fit in your situation. If more room is necessary I do not believe there is an easy fix.
New question: In the event that you do not meet your funding goals, how will the players that are still interested in your product get the special kickstarter mat?
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I would also be interested in a video showing the counters at the top of the mat. The picture I have in my head leads me to believe they're very cumbersome. What if I need to put a counter on a land? What if I need to put a counter on a trap card (in yugioh)? Basically, I don't think the assumption that card types that hold counters sit at the top of the mat is a valid assumption.
Being very into gadgety things, I'm squarely in your demographic, but I find myself struggling to force myself to like the implementation of this awesome idea. I'm not convinced that the features provided are worth it. The ideal that I'm imagining would function like a smartboard, but be made out of the same rubber material. Maybe I just watch too much sci-fi and such a thing wouldn't be possible right now, but this product seems very limited as is. Here is what I would like:
Non-fixed position/sized counters and life total screen
Variable number of counters
Random number generator displayed somewhere that is clearly visible to both players (aka not on the life total screen).
The ability to take notes with a stylus anywhere on the mat.
Access to a card database
Updatable background artwork
Obviously such a product would be significantly more expensive to produce, but I would also pay significantly more for it. As is, it seems identical to a regular mat plus a phone, and the counters are strictly worse than dice. I will definitely be keeping my eye on new features being added though.
I would also be interested in a video showing the counters at the top of the mat. The picture I have in my head leads me to believe they're very cumbersome. What if I need to put a counter on a land? What if I need to put a counter on a trap card (in yugioh)? Basically, I don't think the assumption that card types that hold counters sit at the top of the mat is a valid assumption.
Being very into gadgety things, I'm squarely in your demographic, but I find myself struggling to force myself to like the implementation of this awesome idea. I'm not convinced that the features provided are worth it. The ideal that I'm imagining would function like a smartboard, but be made out of the same rubber material. Maybe I just watch too much sci-fi and such a thing wouldn't be possible right now, but this product seems very limited as is. Here is what I would like:
Non-fixed position/sized counters and life total screen
Variable number of counters
Random number generator displayed somewhere that is clearly visible to both players (aka not on the life total screen).
The ability to take notes with a stylus anywhere on the mat.
Access to a card database
Updatable background artwork
Obviously such a product would be significantly more expensive to produce, but I would also pay significantly more for it. As is, it seems identical to a regular mat plus a phone, and the counters are strictly worse than dice. I will definitely be keeping my eye on new features being added though.
Remember that pen that came out a couple of years ago? The smart pen? It could remember information it wrote and solve math problems, etc.
Anyway, they could implement some of that technology in their mat.
Dot5m, I don't think we have decided exactly how to handle the Kickstarter exclusive mat in that situation. If that does occur we will be sure to post our plans on our site, Facebook, etc...
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good luck guys!!! great idea btw.
Can you make a video of the little LCD's in use?
EDIT : That wifi thing was at first a joke, but now i'm serious lol. put a wifi chip into it, program firefox onto the software, and you got something. great tool for looking up unsure rules, card prices, etc.
Are there ways to clean the mat?
What type of warranty does the mat come with?
It looks like you can keep track of two players life totals from the videos, can you keep track of more than that say up to 6 people for an EDH game?
If the Lithium Ion battery goes bad can I replace it, do I have to ship it back to you, or do I just have to scrap the mat?
What are the expected lifetimes of the battery, the LCD screen, the LEDs?
If an opponent is not familiar with your software can the player with the mat access outside notes in the middle of the game? This point is the reason many judges are very hesitant to allow players to use their phone to take notes. A piece of paper can clearly be seen to have 0 notes on it to begin with, an electronic device is trickier.
Does the mat have any ability to communicate with any other devices?
Another potential cheating issue.
Can you get an oracle text from the device?
This is a function judges get asked frequently and the tournament rules were amended to allow players to grab it themselves...as long as they do it openly in front of their opponent.
The mats come with a one year warranty for any defects from production or failures that occur during that period. This does not cover user neglect or accidental damage just like warranties for most other electronic devices.
As previously stated, the multi player support for EDH and similar game types has been requested enough that we have decided to include those features in the software that will come standard on each play mat through Kickstarter and those produced for retail after.
I will have to ask Glen, the lead electrical/software engineer about the lifetimes of the battery, the LCD screen, and the LED panels as I don't know that information off the top of my head but I am sure it is comparable to similar devices that utilize these components.
Sorry I don't have all the information you requested at the moment, but I hope I answered some of your questions.
The mat cannot access the internet so oracle text is an issue we are debating at the moment. We could include a list of oracle text up to the point of release but in order for users to have oracle text for cards released after that point we would need to release updates for users to download and install by connecting via USB with a computer. This process may be more of a hassle than it's worth to the average player so we are still debating the merits.
The notes section is similar to a small piece of paper in that there is no way to hide the information written within. If an opponent or judge wanted to check the notes section before or during a match they could ask the player to see the screen, just like you would ask to see their paper.
We devised the software with tournament play in mind as both the CEO and I are long time competitive players with experience in high level tournaments such as Grand Prixs, Pro Tours, and SCG Invitationals. We wanted the mat to be usable at these type of events as well as for the casual player so we kept legality in mind.
Then it would probably be illegal in tournaments
Edit - And I understand that there are the additional LED screens for keeping track of counters or whatever, but it's not like I can have them shine through the cards or anything like that. I doubt this system is going to replace dice for keeping track of counters on a card. I guess they might be nice for a 2nd life total display that is clearly visible to you and your opponent, but I'm not sure that's enough to justify the increased cost.
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day 2 at the grand prix we were allowed to use our phones provided all information displayed was visible at all times to our opponents, and that's professional REL.
Supposedly their system is less stressful on a battery than a full-fledged smartphone. According to their information, their mat will still be operational after play sessions that would have drained a smartphone dry.
edit:
From the features section of their website
/edit
That's their claim at least. Right now I just have to take their word that it's true.
A time-lapse video of it running non-stop next to a clock would be neat. Place it next to some smartphones running a lifetracker app to drive home the point that the mat is supposed to last longer.
I will mos def keep an eye on this though.
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This is a relatively minor thing, but I think your software UI might need a bit of development in terms of its ease of use.
Right now, looking at your Kickstarter, it appears that in order to switch from the life tracker to the notepad, or any other similar switch, I need to "close" the current view and select the new view from the control menu. That's fine, but it's two button touches, both of which require me to locate and orient my finger to a new location on the screen and the UI needs to make space for the "close" button.
If it were me, I would vastly prefer a swiping action to just rotate through the five or so possible screens the UI can display. It reduces the need to expend mental effort to switch screens and allows me access to my desired screen far more quickly, which is desirable in game situations. I don't use a smartphone life tracker because they tend to be slower and clumsier than a simple pad of paper.
Just a thought. Unfortunately, I'm probably not your target demographic as I don't use any tech in my games of Magic; just a simple mat, some dice and a pad of paper with a pen. Smartphone battery life has never been an issue for me.
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Can you post the application/publication numbers?
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Being very into gadgety things, I'm squarely in your demographic, but I find myself struggling to force myself to like the implementation of this awesome idea. I'm not convinced that the features provided are worth it. The ideal that I'm imagining would function like a smartboard, but be made out of the same rubber material. Maybe I just watch too much sci-fi and such a thing wouldn't be possible right now, but this product seems very limited as is. Here is what I would like:
Non-fixed position/sized counters and life total screen
Variable number of counters
Random number generator displayed somewhere that is clearly visible to both players (aka not on the life total screen).
The ability to take notes with a stylus anywhere on the mat.
Access to a card database
Updatable background artwork
Obviously such a product would be significantly more expensive to produce, but I would also pay significantly more for it. As is, it seems identical to a regular mat plus a phone, and the counters are strictly worse than dice. I will definitely be keeping my eye on new features being added though.
Remember that pen that came out a couple of years ago? The smart pen? It could remember information it wrote and solve math problems, etc.
Anyway, they could implement some of that technology in their mat.